She's California's first black senator and the first Indian American senator appointed to Congress.

In our current political climate that seems constantly riddled with negativity and frustration, it’s nice to know that progress doesn’t seem entirely out of the question. The [LA Times] (http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-kamala-harris-sworn-in-as-california-s-1483462395-htmlstory.html) reports today that Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first Indian American senator and California’s first black senator.

The 115th Congress officially starts their session today with the [House and Senate both holding a Republican majority] (https://ballotpedia.org/115th_United_States_Congress). The possibility of major setbacks the Obama administration worked hard to prevent for the past eight years is on many people’s minds. Judging by Trump’s cabinet picks and his general campaign promises, it’s not looking good for many “hot button” issues including women’s reproductive rights, healthcare or several essential programs that many Americans rely on daily. Kamala Harris touched on some of these issues back when she won the Senate seat in November.

During her time as California Attorney General, she worked closely with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to receive a settlement of upwards of $470 million dollars from HSBC over their [faulty mortgage practices] (https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-kamala-d-harris-reaches-470-million-joint-state-federal). After the housing crisis in 2008, many homeowners lost their homes due to [faulty mortgages given out under false pretenses by big banks, including HSBC] (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/05/hsbc-fined-morgage-practices-financial-crisis). California homeowners were hit especially hard; the settlement was created to ease the burden they suffered. Harris was quoted in a statement from the Office of the Attorney General of California saying, “This settlement holds HSBC accountable for its abusive practices that manipulated people fighting to stay in their homes. I encourage eligible borrowers who receive a claim form and feel they were a victim of HSBC’s practices to file a claim immediately.”

Running an extremely successful Senate campaign, she counted endorsements from politicians — including [President Barack Obama] (http://www.dailynews.com/government-and-politics/20160719/obama-and-biden-endorse-kamala-harris-for-us-senate), Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), recently retired Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) — as well as many labor and civil rights organizations in California, plus celebrities like Shonda Rhimes and John Legend. The complete list of her endorsers can be found on [her website] (http://www.kamalaharris.org/endorsements/).

Her time in the U.S. Senate will no doubt prove to be an uphill battle, having to reach across the aisle and work with her Republican counterparts every step of the way. However the next six years play out for the new Senator, there can be no doubt that her qualifications are extensive.